In the IPL 2026 match held on April 28 in New Chandigarh, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) faced a six-wicket defeat against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Aakash Chopra, a former Indian cricketer, commented that although PBKS made changes to their lineup, which included Suryansh Shedge, Harpreet Brar, and Lockie Ferguson, these adjustments did not lead to success. He emphasized that the loss should not be solely blamed on the new players.

Yuzvendra Chahal shone for RR, taking 3 wickets for 36 runs, while PBKS bowlers struggled, particularly Arshdeep Singh, who conceded 68 runs in his four overs. Chopra praised Marcus Stoinis for his aggressive batting, scoring 62 runs off just 22 balls, but noted that Shreyas Iyer's slower innings of 30 runs off 27 balls may have hindered the team's performance. Despite reaching a total of 222 runs, PBKS could not defend it as RR chased down the target with four balls to spare.